I was in a small jon boat, plugging for bass a good distance from shore and doing quite well.

In fact, I was having such a good time that I failed to notice a large, dark cloud slowly approaching from the south.

When I did finally make note of it, I recollect thinking that it was a long way off and wouldn’t present any problem for a good while, if at all.

Besides, the bass were giving my topwater plug fits and a man would have to be crazy to leave them biting like that. Wrong.

In fact, the opposite was true. A man would be crazy (or stupid) not to head for shore when he first spotted the ominous cloud.

I kept fishing and just a few minutes later, when I looked over my shoulder, realized I had screwed up.

The “slow” cloud was right on top of me and lightning was streaking downward in several directions.

I remember thinking that it was strange that I had heard no thunder but, regardless, it was obvious that all hell was fixing to break loose.

My first instinct was to make a run for shore. But, just as quickly, I realized I’d never make it.

The little 6-hp Johnson couldn’t push the boat very fast, plus I would have to maneuver my way through small channels in the thick milfoil grass that carpeted that part of the bay.

In the time it took those thoughts to course through my fevered little brain, it became apparent it didn’t matter.

A blast of wind and rain hit and made it feel like someone had a fire hose pointed at me. The drops fell so hard they actually stung.

The worst part, though, was the lightning that was all around me and coming in horrifying bursts. It was like a monster, looking for something to devour in its fiery maw.

And, my little metal boat, being the highest thing around, would make a good meal.

The only thing I could think to do was make sure my fishing rods were lying down in the bottom of the boat and kneel down beside them as low as I could get.

It helped lower my profile and also got me into a good position for praying – which I did, with as much fervor as my Southern Baptist upbringing could elicit.

After about 10 minutes, which seemed like forever, the tempest subsided and I prayed again – this time to give thanks.

So much rain had fallen in the brief storm that it was about an inch deep in the bottom of my boat.

But, I was still in one piece, had not been dismembered or fried by the lightning. I had also done all the fishing I wanted to that day.

In retrospect, my actions in the face of the approaching storm were both good and bad.

The fact that I didn’t start heading for the landing when I first spotted the dark clouds was a dumb move. However, when caught in an untenable position, I did the best thing I could, got as low as possible and kept all my parts in the boat.

Overall, the odds of getting struck by lightning are quite low – only about one in a million.

But, in a boat they are significantly higher – about one in a thousand.

That’s because of the nature of lightning. In a basic sense it’s a powerful exchange of electrons between the bottom of a storm cloud and earth.

In coming down and then back up, the charge seeks good conductors (like water) and the route of least resistance (the highest object around.)

The bad news is a boat out on a river or ocean fills both of those requirements nicely. Even worse, data compiled by BoatUS, the nation’s largest recreational boating organization, show that North Carolina is one of the top 10 states in the country for frequency of lightning strikes on boats.

Other studies have shown that some boats are more likely to be hit by lightning than others. Sailboats with their tall, usually metal, masts are struck often.

Interestingly, multi-hull sailboats are most apt to get hit (6.9 vs. 3.8 strikes per 1,000 for mono-hull craft). Motoryachts are struck at a rate of about 1.5 per thousand and, for bass boats and similar vessels, it’s about 0.1/1,000.

Most often, when lightning strikes a boat, those onboard are not injured because the powerful current follows the best conductors – the mast, the hull, the engines, etc. – to the water.

Unfortunately, the craft’s electronics, power source and maybe the hull itself doesn’t fare as well.

BoatUS offers some tips for boaters who are caught out when an electrical storm approaches.

1. Go inside if the boat has a cabin and stay away from the mast on a sailboat.

If there is no cabin, stay as low as possible in the hull.

2. Keep arms and legs in the boat.

3. Discontinue fishing, water skiing and other activities.

4. Disconnect and don’t use or touch electronic equipment, including radios, unless it is necessary to call for help.

5. Lower or tie down antenna and other protruding devices unless they are part of a pre-installed lightning protection system.

The best advice is to err on the side of caution and, if there is time, return to shore and take shelter in an enclosed building or vehicle.

If that isn’t possible and you’re in an open boat, get as low as you can - and pray.

Boaters who are also golfers will appreciate what the great Lee Trevino had to say once when asked what action he recommended for someone caught on a golf course during a lightning storm.

He suggested they stand in the middle of a fairway and hold a 1-iron high overhead.

His explanation to the startled interviewer was, “Even God can’t hit a 1-iron.”

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